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QualitySolicitors to put desks in 500 WHSmith branches

Tesco Law comes into effect in October this year (AKA The Legal Services Act 2010) and with it the floodgates of private investment in law firms. This could mean that before long your employees could help themselves to legal advice for their personal injury, house move and tribunal claim while buying a newspaper in their high street store. According to some commentators, it will be difficult not to if slick marketing techniques are applied in pursuit of profit as they have been by other de-regulated industries.

It is arguable that when Craig Holt launches his accessible legal services shops within a shop, ‘law’ will not ony become more accessible and affordable, but we could also become more litigious.

This article in The Lawyer is worth reading not only for itself but also for the wry comments posted by lawyers smarting at the idea of their lunch being eaten in W.H.Smith’s. Many argue that standards may fall too…. allegedly.

My concern is that if QS venture into employment disputes on behalf of employees, employers will be forced to make financial settlements for flimsy claims arising out of grievances that would otherwise have blown over in the normal course of events. All the more reason for employers to ensure they have belt and braces in place when it comes to employment contracts and basic HR policies and procedures.